"Actor: Daniel Studi"

• The Last Of The Mohicans | DVD | (01/06/2006) from £9.99   |  Saving you £9.00 (90.09%)   |  RRP £18.99

  The Last of the Mohicans is a large-scale adventure set during the colonial conflicts between Britain and France 20 years before the American War of Independence. Based loosely on the novel by James Fenimore Cooper, but actually inspired by director Michael (Manhunter, Heat) Mann's boyhood love of the 1936 film of the same name, this is rousing, romantic stuff. As "Hawkeye", a white raised by the last of the Mohican tribe, Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a performance which, had he followed it up, could have established him as an action hero for the 1990s and beyond. Despite an under-written role Madeline Stowe convinces as the heroine. The remaining cast are uniformly excellent. Filmed amid the spectacular mountains, rivers and forests of North Carolina by Mann's regular cinematographer, Dante Spinotti, the film is a visual joy, while Trevor Jones' majestic, spine-tingling score (with additional music by Randy Edleman) is one of the finest of the decade. Taking time to establish the motives of British and French colonists and the various native tribes, as well as the varying opinions and characters within these groupings, Mann offers much greater balance and complexity than The Patriot (2000), yet never looses sight of the object here: telling a stirring yarn laced with bold action set pieces and passionate romance. On the DVD: The anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 image is a massive improvement over VHS, but still shows considerable grain in many scenes, possibly a result of the film being shot in low, natural light and containing many very dark sequences. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is very powerful, though little use is made of the rear channels, and in some scenes the sound effects all but drown out the dialogue. Isolated scores are usually only found on feature-packed special editions, so the inclusion here is a welcome surprise--and testament its popularity. The only other extra is an anamorphic 2.35:1 presentation of the immensely stirring theatrical trailer. --Gary S Dalkin

• Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron / The Road To El Dorado | DVD | (01/09/2014) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Spirit - Stallion Of The Cimarron (Dir. Kelly Asbury / Lorna Cook 2002): A refreshingly old-fashioned and gentle tale of a mustang stallion struggling to remain free in the old West. The film is a seamless blend of traditional hand-drawn and computer-generated animation. Opening with an impressive bird's eye pan of the Grand Canyon from the viewpoint of an eagle SPIRIT captures the unspoiled beauty of the land. The animals in this particular animated film do not talk and Matt Damon provides effective sparse narration from the perspective of Spirit an adventurous young stallion who is captured by the U.S. Army. But Spirit will not let the soldiers saddle and ride him. An authoritarian colonel (voiced by James Cromwell) is determined to break Spirit at one point starving the horse to weaken him. A Lakota prisoner Little Creek (voiced by Daniel Studi) is impressed with the horse and helps him to escape. Little Creek can't break the horse either. But the two learn to respect each other and Spirit meets Rain Little Creek's horse and falls in love. The Road To El Dorado (Dir. Bibo Bergeron 1999): Get ready for an exhilarating ride of a lifetime! Join Tulio and Miguel and their hilarious horse Altivo as they set sail map in hand in search of golden treasure in DreamWorks' all-star adventure The Road To El Dorado! Upon landing on the shores of El Dorado the legendary Lost City of Gold Tulio and Miguel are mistaken for gods and are lavished with riches beyond their wildest dreams. As friendship loyalty and greed collide our unlikely heroes must make the decision of their lives: run off with the gold or face up to unforeseen dangers to save the people of El Dorado! Reuniting the Oscar-winning musical team from The Lion King - Elton John Tim Rice and composer Hans Zimmer - this filmed treasure features captivating songs and spectacular animation! Your entire family will love every moment of this laugh-packed escapade as they travel down The Road To El Dorado again and again!